Ball Corporation announced Wednesday it had notified its employees and the union it may close its beverage packaging plant in Wallkill, N.Y.
The company said it is evaluating the 50-year-old Wallkill facility where Ball makes a number of unique can sizes. Space, land, and equipment limitations make expansion and upgrades difficult, the company said. The company is exploring producing the unique sizes at other facilities and closing the Wallkill plant to increase production and enable growth.
“Contemplating a plant closure is never easy as it impacts our people. Because of our extensive plant network, we have the ability to modify existing lines to produce these unique sizes,” said Kathleen Pitre, president of Beverage Packaging North & Central America. “We are exploring the best way to match the growing and changing needs of our contracted customers with our extensive plant footprint.”
The company said it can leverage its 20 metal beverage container plants across the region to serve multiple customers with sustainable packaging solutions. The company and its subsidiaries employ 21,000 people worldwide and provide packaging solutions for beverage, personal care, and household products, as well as for aerospace and other technologies, primarily for the U.S. government. In 2022, the company reported net sales of $15.35 billion.